“Perfection is an unattainable thing, you know that,” Graham said. “At least put the shovel away for now.” Graham blithely moved on to another parterre.
While everyone was captured by the garden, Delphine appeared at the gate. She watched in silence, listening to Poppy’s laughter, Stella’s dulcet murmurs, and Sorrel’s clear voice describing what to expect as the garden grew. Delphine hesitated before entering. She wasn’t true family, even though Graham was her old friend and he had expressly invited her to be there at the opening of the garden. In that moment Delphine felt keenly the absence of Mathilde, the loss of her own innocence, and the almost unbearable burden of knowing how very fragile everything could be, including this garden, including the very visible joy of Andrew’s newfound faith in love—especially that joy. But if she didn’t embrace the changes here, and Graham’s childlike belief that all would be well as long as the garden thrived, what could ever be her place in all this? Delphine took a single step and joined her true family.
Gabe hovered at the edge of the garden. If he only looked at everyone chatting in the sun, he could almost believe that all was well indeed. But behind him, the failure chilled his back as if it had actual, physical reach. He saw Delphine walk into the garden. Her steps were tentative. Stella turned and gathered her into her arms, waving and pointing around her, and Delphine smiled. Gabe caught Sorrel’s eye, and they both looked to the corner. If Delphine made her way over, she would raise questions neither of the gardeners was ready or willing to answer. Gabe was afraid to leave or stay. He shuffled as if he were about to steal a base and then walked quickly toward the gate. When he was only feet away, he felt her hand on his wrist.
“Did you think I would not see you?” Delphine asked.
Gabe didn’t bother to respond. He simply looked at Delphine.
“When did it start?” she asked.
Gabe pointed at the ground.
“Today?”
He nodded.
“What does Sorrel think?”
Gabe lowered his head so that he could speak to Delphine without being overheard.
“She is unsure,” he said in a slurred growl.
“Will she try again?” Delphine asked.
“Tomorrow,” Gabe said.
“I will join you both,” Delphine said. “Don’t tell Sorrel.”
Now Gabe was keeping secrets from Sorrel, and the weight was enough that he felt ill. He might have been concerned that it was the garden infecting him, punishing him for having any hope at all for the benighted place, but he was a man and never had a man been affected.
He caught Sorrel’s eye again and waved her over.
“What’s up with Delphine?” Sorrel asked. “She didn’t stay long.”
Here was the moment Gabe could come clean, tell Sorrel that both he and Delphine had bad feelings building. Then at least he wouldn’t be quite as false-hearted as Graham. But he only shook his head.
“Well, I’m sure she’ll reappear at lunch, ideally with sweets!” Sorrel laughed and gave Gabe a pat. “We really are pretty terrific gardeners, aren’t we?”
Gabe thought he might just burst out with every lie and secret, vomiting up his culpability, poisonous as anything stirring in the garden. But again he was silent and smiled before he left to clean up for lunch. If he didn’t return for the meal, Sorrel would surely notice and sound the alarm, which would only bring Graham running, which would unleash Stella’s concern and send Poppy off on one of her investigations. All these years with this family and it would be his absence that would reveal his secrets.
“Gabe?” Sorrel asked, touching his arm. “We are terrific gardeners, aren’t we? I mean, we’re OK, right?”
Gabe nodded and signaled that he was going to change out of his dirty work clothes, and Sorrel shooed him off with a smile.
Sorrel drifted back into the garden. If the failed plants troubled her, it didn’t show. Andrew took her hand.
“You should be so pleased,” he said. “This is a wonderland.”
“Thank you, Andrew,” Sorrel said. “I was a little worried that you’d be spooked again.”
“I was startled, that’s all,” he said. “Your little town may be used to your magic, but it’s new to me and I needed a moment to let it work.”
Sorrel stroked his jaw, finding a whiskery spot Andrew had missed shaving.
“You know, of course,” she said, “this isn’t magic, just rich soil and hard work and the gift of good weather.”
“Oh, I’m sure all that had something to do with it,” Andrew said.
“I’m ready for lunch,” Poppy called out.
“I’m in,” said Andrew.
“Of course you are,” Sorrel muttered.
When everyone arrived at the formal garden, lunch had been laid out on the terrace by unseen hands. Bowls of strawberries and frosty buckets of champagne waited beside iced platters of salmon and dill, sliced cold flank steak and a salad composed of all the kitchen garden’s earth-bound magic. A tiered cake stand held scores of macarons—pistachio, chocolate, raspberry and the more exotic lavender and vanilla, thyme and honey, rose and tea, each topped with the corresponding herb or flower. Delphine had set her staff to work as per Stella, and now she and Arthur stood like proud parents before the beautiful tableau.
Naturally, Graham had another toast ready.
“To all the hidden fairies in our garden and our lives. You have made us very happy today!”
Gabe didn’t drink. He was still too anxious to join in the celebration. At the word “fairies,” in fact, he jumped a little. Delphine saw his reaction. Poppy did, too. Graham was oblivious, and Stella was so relieved to have the garden completed without the loss of man or beast that she could hardly see beyond the lovely posies Sorrel had placed in tumblers and silver campaign cups around the table. Gabe had to settle down. He waved to everyone and went back to his cottage. Maggie lay on his bed, a place where she was not welcome, but Gabe hadn’t the heart to move her. He stretched out beside her and fell asleep.
Sorrel and Andrew strolled in the formal garden. He’d brought four macarons wrapped in a napkin. As they approached the maze, he handed Sorrel one and said, “If we are lost, at least we will not starve.”
Sorrel laughed. “As if this is enough to sustain you for even an hour!”
“With me as your guide we’ll be out in ten minutes. I’ve been mapping this maze since Stella married into the family.” Andrew held out his hand, “Come on, then, it’ll be fun.”